TropicalRainforestsAdultsandchildrenarefrequentlyconfrontedwithstatementsaboutthealarmingrateoflossoftropicalrainforests.Forexample,onegraphicillustrationtowhichchildrenmightreadilyrelateistheestimatethatrainforestsarebeingdestroyedatarateequivalenttoonethousandfootballfieldseveryfortyminutes-aboutthedurationofanormalclassroomperiod.Inthefaceofthefrequentandoftenvividmediacoverage,itislikelythatchildrenwillhaveformedideasaboutrainforests-whatandwheretheyare,whytheyareimportant,whatendangersthem-independentofanyformaltuition.Itisalsopossiblethatsomeoftheseideaswillbemistaken.Manystudieshaveshownthatchildrenharbourmisconceptionsabout‘pure'curriculumscience.Thesemisconceptionsdonotremainisolatedbutbecomeincorporatedintoamultifaceted,butorganised,conceptualframework,makingitandthecomponentideas,someofwhichareerroneous，morerobustbutalsoaccessibletomodification.Theseideasmaybedevelopedbychildrenabsorbingideasthroughthepopularmedia.Sometimesthisinformationmaybeerroneous.Itseemsschoolsmaynotbeprovidinganopportunityforchildrentore-expresstheirideasandsohavethemtestedandrefinedbyteachersandtheirpeers.Despitetheextensivecoverageinthepopularmediaofthedestructionofrainforests,littleformalinformationisavailableaboutchildren’sideasinthisarea.Theaimofthepresentstudyistostarttoprovidesuchinformation,tohelpteachersdesigntheireducationalstrategiestobuilduponcorrectideasandtodisplacemisconceptionsandtoplanprogrammesinenvironmentalstudiesintheirschools.Thestudysurveyschildren’sscientificknowledgeandattitudestorainforests.Secondaryschoolchildrenwereaskedtocompleteaquestionnairecontainingfiveopen-formquestions.Themostfrequentresponsestothefirstquestionweredescriptionswhichareself-evidentfromtheterm"rainforest".Somechildrendescribedthemasdamp,wetorhot.Thesecondquestionconcernedthegeographicallocationofrainforests.Thecommonestresponseswerecontinentsorcountries：Africa(givenby43%ofchildren),SouthAmerica(30%),Brazil(25%).Somechildrenalsogavemoregenerallocations,suchasbeingneartheEquator.Responsestoquestionthreeconcernedtheimportanceofrainforests.Thedominantidea,raisedby64%ofthepupils,wasthatrainforestsprovideanimalswithhabitats.Fewerstudentsrespondedchatrainforestsprovideplanthabitats,andevenfewermentionedtheindigenouspopulationsofrainforests.Moregirls(70%)thanboys(60%)raiseddieideaofrainforestasanimalhabitats.Similarly,butatalowerlevel,moregirls(13%)thanboys(5%)saidthatrainforestsprovidedhumanhabitats.Theseobservationsaregenerallyconsistentwithourpreviousstudiesofpupils’viewsabouttheuseandconservationofrainforests,inwhichgirlswereshowntobemoresympathetictoanimalsandexpressedviewswhichseemtoplaceanintrinsicvalueonnon-humananimallife.Thefourthquestionconcernedthecausesofthedestructionofrainforests.Perhapsencouragingly,morethanhalfofthepupils(59%)identifiedchatitishumanactivitieswhicharedestroyingrainforests,somepersonalisingtheresponsibilitybytheuseoftermssuchas"weare".About18%ofthepupilsreferredspecificallytologgingactivity.Onemisconception,expressedbysome10%ofthepupils,waschatacidrainisresponsibleforrainforestdestruction；Asimilarproportionsaidchatpollutionisdestroyingrainforests.Here,childrenareconfusingrainforestdestructionwithdamagetotheforestsofWesternEuropebythesefactors.Whiletwofifthsofthestudentsprovidedtheinformationthattherainforestsprovideoxygen,insomecasesthisresponsealsoembraced...